Worrying about isolation
At noon on August 27, in Xuan Mai commune (Hanoi), a tense atmosphere enveloped the country when the water level of the Bui River suddenly rose, starting to overflow through vulnerable dykes. Standing on the dike with strong currents, many people could not hide their anxiety, because floods have been their constant obsession for many years.
Ms. Nguyen Thi Phuong, a resident of Xuan Mai commune, sadly shared that this situation is repeated every year but cannot be completely overcome.
"Last year, it was flooded twice in just 1.5 months. This year, the water has risen again, more than 2 hectares of rice of my family and many others have submerged in water. If the water continues to rise like this, people can only helplessly watch," said Ms. Phuong.
Sharing the same fear, Ms. Nguyen Thi Lan, a resident of Yen Trinh village, Xuan Mai commune, said that every time the flood season comes, people here live in fear.
"The water overflowed the dike, causing several adjacent communes to be submerged in water. People have lost all their crops and livestock, sometimes having to evacuate and be isolated, like the last time we were isolated for more than a month," said Ms. Nguyen Thi Lan.
Racing against the water, determined to keep the people safe
Faced with the complicated developments of floods, the 308th Mechanized Infantry Division received orders and urgently mobilized forces and vehicles to support Xuan Mai commune.
Immediately, nearly 150 officers and soldiers were present at the most vulnerable dike points. Not afraid of mud and wind, the soldiers, along with the militia and local people, hurriedly transported sandbags and built meters of dikes to prevent floodwaters.
Speaking to Lao Dong Newspaper reporter, Lieutenant Colonel Truong Xuan Hoa, Deputy Chief of Staff of the 308th Mechanized Infantry Division, said: Immediately after receiving instructions from the divisions superiors, the Division dispatched 150 officers, soldiers and mobile vehicles to carry out the task of building dikes and preventing flooding for the people. During the organization, officers, soldiers and people actively worked on reinforcement work.
"We have now built about 300m and are expected to continue reinforcing about 1,000m more in weak overflow sections. We are determined to work with the people to build embankments to prevent flooding, and at the same time, support people in transporting assets and facilities to higher ground to ensure safety and minimize damage, Lieutenant Colonel Hoa affirmed.
The National Center for Hydro-Meteorological Forecasting predicts that from the night of August 27, heavy rain in the Northern region will gradually decrease. During thunderstorms, there is a possibility of tornadoes, lightning, hail and strong gusts of wind. The warning level of natural disaster risk due to heavy rain, tornadoes, lightning, and hail is level 1. Heavy rain is likely to cause flooding in low-lying areas, urban and industrial areas; flash floods on small rivers and streams, landslides on steep slopes.
